Sweet Potato Turkey Hash Recipe

A breakfast recipe for sweet potato turkey hash with ground turkey, peppers, onions and fresh sage. Eat as is, or top it with a fried egg!

SWEET POTATO TURKEY HASH FOR BREAKFAST, PLEASE.

I used to meet with a small circle of my dearest, closest friends for bible study every Thursday morning. We alternated hosting, and more times than not, each hostess would provide either breakfast or at least a little something for the group to munch on.

One of the most memorable breakfasts served from the era of our small group gatherings was a sweet potato breakfast hash. Of course, served up by my super-duper, cross fitter bestie — a fan of all things paleo and packed with nutritional value. See? Opposites do attract. Unfortunately, it isn’t really the health benefits that draw me toward any certain dish…it’s more-so the flavor. And, while deep down [insert rolling eyes, here], of course, I care about what goes into my body, comfort food will forever and always have my heart.

And, maybe that’s the reason this sweet potato turkey hash resonated with me — it’s healthy, it’s hearty, and best of all, it’s comforting. Some recipes call for sausage, but I find sausage tends to be a little too heavy for me first thing in the morning, so ground turkey it is. However, if you prefer breakfast sausage, you can certainly use that instead.

HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO TURKEY HASH

Breakfast hashes are cooked on the stovetop, and typically all in one pan. The dish usually consists of a protein, accompanied by an assortment of vegetables like potatoes, onions, and peppers.

MAKE SURE THE POTATOES ARE SMALL AND UNIFORM IN SIZE FOR THE HASH

One of the most important things to keep in mind for a breakfast hash with sweet potatoes (or, really any potato for that matter) is that the potatoes need to be fairly small and of uniform size. They should be small for two reasons: (1) So they don’t take forever to cook, (2) and so they don’t burn on the outside before they cook through on the inside.

The easy way to cut potatoes for a breakfast hash:

Slice the washed and peeled potatoes crosswise into 1/4″ circles. Then, cut each circle into 1/4″ strips (you should have 3-4 strips/circle). Cut each strip into 1/4″ cubes, and that’s all there is to that.

One of the best things about hash recipes is that they are packed with flavor. But, how do you pack a hash with flavor? Simple. You build it.

COOK TURKEY AND SWEET POTATOES OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT

Turns out browned meat is tasty. And that, my friends, is science. Just ask Dr. Maillard, discoverer of the Maillard Reaction. The Maillard Reaction states (in its simplest form) that browned food tastes better. This is the reason we will cook the turkey and the sweet potatoes over medium-high heat.

Why not high heat? Well because burnt food tastes bad. Also science.

BUILD FLAVOR

In addition to making sure we get a nice brown coating on both the turkey and the sweet potatoes, we are going to focus on building flavor.

Start off your breakfast hash with the ground turkey. Once the turkey is cooked, it hops out of the pool momentarily to make a little room for the sweet potatoes.

The sweet potatoes will take on the flavor of the turkey, making them savory/sweet perfection.

In addition to the sweet potatoes and turkey, the recipe also features heavy hitters in the flavor department like sweet red peppers, red onion, and one of my favorite additions, fresh sage.

Fresh herbs are simple to handle and add an unexpected vibrancy and a lovely complexity to dishes (especially savory ones), and perfectly complements the stars of this show — ground turkey and sweet potatoes.

PUT AN EGG ON IT

And, if you want to add even more flavor to your sweet potato hash, you could always throw a fried egg on it. Cause when has a fried ever made anything worse?

As much as I love a good fried egg, I’ll definitely take sweet potato turkey hash either way.

Mostly, I use this little ditty as a quick-fix, make-ahead breakfast. I make it at the start of the week, and pull a little bit from it each morning. It keeps well, it’s filling, and just doesn’t seem to get old. Plus, it reminds me of one of my very best friends. Gotta love that.

Speaking of which, we are still in our little bible study together, and we still meet every Thursday morning. However, maybe the word “little” is no longer the best adjective to describe the study. We’ve multiplied in number significantly, and we no longer gather ’round a table. We fill an entire room.

Because of the size change, most of the hostesses have opted out of serving breakfast, and understandably so. But, food is such a connecting point for me, I’ll admit I was a little sad to see that side of our Thursday mornings go.

However, this sweet potato turkey hash is pretty simple to make…and it does go a long, long way. And, I’m thinking the next time this gal gets to host, hash will most certainly be served. Please, enjoy.

To prepare the sweet potatoes, slice them crosswise into 1/4" circles. Then, cut each circle into 1/4" strips (you should have 3-4 strips/circle). Cut each strip into 1/4" cubes and set aside until ready to use.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, breaking it apart with a spatula or spoon, and sprinkle with seasoning. Cook for 6-8 minutes more, stirring often, until the turkey is browned and cooked through.

Remove the turkey from the pan, and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the potatoes 6-8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

Add the onion and the pepper, and continue cooking for an additional 4 minutes.

Add the turkey back to the pan, along with the sage and stir. Continue cooking until the onions and pepper have softened. Serve and enjoy.

What a great looking breakfast or brunch. I love how colorful it is and the best part it’s good for you too. We do like our sage and using it with ground turkey is a lot healthier for us than sausage — although I am quite partial to sausage. I imagine this would make a great weeknight dinner too. I’m pinning!!

This just screams “fall comfort food”! And oh my – I’m loving the idea of topping it with an egg! That’s my kind of breakfast, for sure! Even better that it can be made ahead for deliciously healthy, filling breakfasts all week – such a lifesaver for busy moms! Great post!

I have friends coming in town for Halloween and I always make a big brunch the next day. I always use fresh potatoes in my hash and since sweet potatoes are in season, this is the perfect time to try it with them in town. What a delicious looking breakfast!

Such a delicious sweet potato turkey hash! The flavors are fresh and flavorful! I am always looking for better ways to use ground turkey! This is just fantastic! This would be a great addition to a brunch menu too!

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Hi! I’m Kelly Anthony, a food columnist, baker, home chef and stay-at-home mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. I hope you, your family and guests will cherish them as much as I do. Thank you for stopping by, and please, come back again. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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